Suicide blast kills at least 26 at train station in southwestern Pakistan

islamabad — A suicide bomber detonated himself at a crowded railway station in Pakistan's violence-hit southwestern Balochistan province Saturday, killing at least 26 and injuring more than 60 others.

Senior police officer Mohammad Baloch told reporters the powerful blast in the provincial capital of Quetta hit the passenger waiting area, where "around 100 people" were present at the time.

At least half of those killed and many among those injured were members of the Pakistan army, the primary target of the attack, according to police and hospital officials.

Shahid Rind, the provincial government spokesperson, said that at least 10 people among the injured "are in critical condition."

An insurgent group, the Baloch Liberation Army, took responsibility for the deadly attack, claiming a member of its suicide bombers squad targeted Pakistani military personnel.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the "terrorist" bombing in Quetta and vowed to punish those behind the killings of "innocent civilians," his office said in a statement in Islamabad.

Last week, a bomb blast in the city of Mastung in the province killed at least nine people, more than half of them schoolchildren. The attack targeted a police vehicle transporting personnel to protect polio vaccinators.

Balochistan, renowned for its abundant natural resources, has experienced a dramatic surge in militant attacks, killing hundreds of people this year alone.

The Baloch Liberation Army, listed as a global terrorist organization by the United States, and several other ethnic Baloch militant groups routinely stage attacks against Pakistani security forces as well as government installations.

Insurgents claim that their violent campaign aims to seek independence for the province from Pakistan, accusing the central government of exploiting their resources.

Islamabad rejects the charges, denouncing militant groups as "enemies of the development" in Balochistan and the country at large.